Relationship between physical parameters and visual analysis for assessment of image quality: a multi-center and multi-vendor phantom study in brain SPECT.

Objectives: Brain perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) image quality varies depending on SPECT systems. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between physical parameters and visual analysis for assessment of the brain SPECT image quality. We conducted our phantom study under various conditions in a multi-center and multi-vendor study.

The Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Therapeutic Efficacy of Trastuzumab Deruxtecan in Gastric Cancer.

This biomarker study explored HER2 expression levels and immune cell characteristics that may affect response to T-DXd using tumor tissue samples collected from clinical trial participants. The results suggest that HER2 expression levels and tumor characteristics before the initiation of T-DXd may correlate with the efficacy of the drug.

Prospective changes in financial toxicity and health-related quality of life in patients with gynecologic cancer.

Background: Financial toxicity impacts the treatment choices, daily life, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of cancer patients. We investigated future variations in financial toxicity and HRQoL of patients with gynecologic cancer, evaluated using the COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity (COST) questionnaire.

Methods: This multicenter study enrolled patients with gynecologic cancer incurring co-payments for anti-cancer drug treatment for over 2 months.

[Impact of Different Acquisition Modes on Image Quality and Quantitative Accuracy for Bone SPECT Using Ordered Subset Conjugate-gradient Minimizer].

We evaluated the effect of different xSPECT Bone acquisition methods on image quality and quantitative accuracy. A mixed bone-equivalent solution set to 250 HU and Tc was filled with the SIM Bone phantom. The xSPECT Bone acquisitions were performed with the step and shoot (SS) mode and two continuous modes (continuous, continuous) of the times per view, and the total acquisition times were the same as the SS mode.

Efficacy of a Novel Respiratory Motion Reduction Block in Reducing Motion Artifact on Myocardial Perfusion Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography.

Purpose: Motion artifacts caused by heart motion during myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) can compromise image quality and diagnostic accuracy. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the novel respiratory motion reduction block (RRB) device in reducing motion artifacts by compressing the hypochondrium and improving SPECT image quality.

Methods: In total, 91 patients who underwent myocardial perfusion SPECT with Tc-sestamibi were retrospectively analyzed.

Absolute quantitation of sympathetic nerve activity using [I] metaiodobenzylguanidine SPECT-CT in neurology.

Background And Purpose: The ability of [I]metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) sympathetic nerve imaging with three-dimensional (3D) quantitation to clinically diagnose neurological disorders has not been evaluated. This study compared absolute heart counts calculated as mean standardized uptake values (SUV) using conventional planar imaging and assessed the contribution of [I]MIBG single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)-CT to the diagnosis of neurological diseases.

Methods: Seventy-two patients with neurological diseases were consecutively assessed using early and delayed [I]MIBG SPECT-CT and planar imaging.

Verification of image quality improvement of low-count bone scintigraphy using deep learning.

To improve image quality for low-count bone scintigraphy using deep learning and evaluate their clinical applicability. Six hundred patients (training, 500; validation, 50; evaluation, 50) were included in this study. Low-count original images (75%, 50%, 25%, 10%, and 5% counts) were generated from reference images (100% counts) using Poisson resampling.

Detectability of cold tumors by xSPECT bone technology compared with hot tumors: a supine phantom study.

Detecting cold as well as hot tumors is vital for interpreting bone tumors on single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images. This study aimed to visually and quantitatively demonstrate the detectability of cold tumors using xSPECT technology compared with that of hot tumors in the phantom study. Five tumors of different sizes and normal bone contained a mixture of Tc and KHPO in a spine phantom.

Three-Dimensional Heart Segmentation and Absolute Quantitation of Cardiac I-metaiodobenzylguanidine Sympathetic Imaging Using SPECT/CT.

: A three-dimensional (3D) approach to absolute quantitation of I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) sympathetic nerve imaging using single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) / computed tomography (CT) is not available. Therefore, we calculated absolute cardiac counts and standardized uptake values (SUVs) from images of 72 consecutive patients with cardiac and neurological diseases using I-MIBG SPECT/CT and compared them with conventional planar quantitation. We aimed to develop new methods for 3D heart segmentation and the quantitation of these diseases.

Phantom-Based Standardization Method for I-metaiodobenzylguanidine Heart-to-Mediastinum Ratio Validated by D-SPECT Versus Anger Camera.

: The I-metaiodobenzylguanidine heart-to-mediastinum ratios (HMRs) have been standardized between D-SPECT and Anger cameras in a small patient cohort using a phantom-based conversion method. This study aimed to determine the validity of this method and compare the diagnostic performance of the two cameras in a larger patient cohort. : We retrospectively calculated HMRs from early and late anterior-planar equivalent and planar images acquired from 173 patients in 177 studies using D-SPECT and Anger cameras, respectively.

A pilot study of skin stretching and blood circulation effects of dermal suctioning in dogs.

Dermal suctioning has been reported to yield effects similar to those of cupping therapy in humans and horses, including pain reduction, increased blood circulation, improved flexibility, and healing. However, there is a dearth of reported outcomes concerning cupping or dermal suctioning in dogs. In this study, we examined the physiological effects of dermal suctioning in dogs.

Influence of spill-over for Tc images and the effect of scatter correction for dual-isotope simultaneous acquisition with Tc and F using small-animal SPECT-PET/CT system.

A dual-isotope simultaneous acquisition (DISA) of Tc and F affects the image quality of Tc by crosstalk and spill-over from F. We demonstrated the influence of spill-over and crosstalk on image quality and its correction effect for DISA SPECT with Tc and F. A fillable cylindrical chamber of 30 mm with NEMA-NU4 image quality phantom was filled with Tc only or a mixed Tc and F solution (C).

Myocardial perfusion imaging with retrospective gating and integrated correction of attenuation, scatter, respiration, motion, and arrhythmia.

Background: Absolute quantitative myocardial perfusion SPECT requires addressing of aleatory and epistemic uncertainties in conjunction with providing image quality sufficient for lesion detection and characterization. Iterative reconstruction methods enable the mitigation of the root causes of image degradation. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of a new SPECT/CT method with integrated corrections attempting to enable absolute quantitative cardiac imaging (xSPECT Cardiac; xSC).

A case series title: femoral nerve injury with an episode of motor neuropathy caused by gynecological surgery: a case series.

Background: Although iatrogenic nerve injury is sometimes diagnosed after gynecological surgery, its incidence is underestimated because most cases are self-limiting and underreported. Herein, we report on six cases of femoral nerve injury after gynecological surgery with both sensory and motor neuropathy.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 785 patients with gynecological cancer requiring surgery, including lymph node dissection, between 2012 and 2016 at our center.

A novel objective method for discriminating pathological and physiological colorectal uptake in the lower abdominal region using whole-body dynamic F-FDG-PET.

Objectives: To investigate whether the center-of-mass shift distance (CMSD) analysis on whole-body dynamic positron emission tomography (WBD-PET) with continuous bed motion is an objective index for discriminating pathological and physiological uptake in the lower abdominal colon.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the CMSD in 39 patients who underwent delayed imaging to detect incidental focal uptake that was difficult to determine as pathological and physiological on a conventional early-PET (early) image reconstructed by 5-phase WBD-PET images. The CMSD between each phase of WBD-PET images and between conventional early and delayed (two-phase) PET images were classified into pathological and physiological uptake groups based on endoscopic histology or other imaging diagnostics.

Evaluation of Collimators in a High-Resolution, Whole-Body SPECT/CT Device with a Dual-Head Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride Detector for I-FP-CIT SPECT.

The study aim was to evaluate the adaptation of collimators to I--fluoropropyl-2b-carbomethoxy-3b-(4-iodophenyl)nortropane (I-FP-CIT) dopamine transporter SPECT (DAT-SPECT) by a high-resolution whole-body SPECT/CT system with a cadmium-zinc-telluride detector (C-SPECT) in terms of image quality, quantitation, diagnostic performance, and acquisition time. Using a C-SPECT device equipped with a wide-energy, high-resolution collimator and a medium-energy, high-resolution sensitivity (MEHRS) collimator, we evaluated the image quality and quantification of DAT-SPECT for an anthropomorphic striatal phantom. Ordered-subset expectation maximization iterative reconstruction with resolution recovery, scatter, and attenuation correction was used, and the optimal collimator was determined on the basis of the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), percentage contrast, and specific binding ratio.

Modulation of tumor immune microenvironment by TAS-115, a multi-receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, promotes antitumor immunity and contributes anti-PD-1 antibody therapy.

TAS-115 is an oral multi-receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor that strongly inhibits kinases implicated in antitumor immunity, such as colony stimulating factor 1 receptor and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor. Because these kinases are associated with the modulation of immune pathways, we investigated the immunomodulatory activity of TAS-115. An in vitro cytokine assay revealed that TAS-115 upregulated interferon γ (IFNγ) and interleukin-2 secretion by T cells, suggesting that TAS-115 activated T cells.

Comparison of the detectability of hot lesions on bone SPECT using six state-of-the-art SPECT/CT systems: a multicenter phantom study to optimize reconstruction parameters.

Single-photon emission computed tomography with X-ray computed tomography (SPECT/CT) systems have diversified due to the remarkable developments made by each manufacturer. This study aimed to optimize the reconstruction parameters of six state-of-the-art SPECT/CT systems and compare their image quality of bone SPECT. SPECT images were acquired on SPECT/CT systems, including Symbia Intevo, Discovery NM/CT 670, Discovery NM/CT 870 CZT, Brightview XCT, and VERITON-CT.

Feasibility of using counts-per-volume approach with a new SPECT phantom to optimize the relationship between administered dose and acquisition time.

We developed a phantom for single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), with the objective of assessing image quality to optimize administered dose and acquisition time. We investigated whether the concept of counts-per-volume (CPV), which is used as a predictor of visual image quality in positron emission tomography, can be used to estimate the acquisition time required for each SPECT image. QIRE phantoms for the head (QIRE-h) and torso (QIRE-t) were developed to measure four physical indicators of image quality in a single scan: uniformity, contrast of both hot and defective lesions with respect to the background, and linearity between radioactivity concentration and count density.

Optimization of the Attenuation Coefficient for Chang Attenuation Correction in I Brain Perfusion SPECT.

-isopropyl--I-iodoamphetamine brain perfusion SPECT has been used with various attenuation coefficients (μ-values); however, optimization is required. This study aimed to determine the optimal μ-value (μ-value) for Chang attenuation correction (AC) using clinical data by comparing the Chang method and CT-based AC. We used 100 patients (reference group, 60; disease group, 40) who underwent -isopropyl--I-iodoamphetamine SPECT.

Association between financial toxicity and health-related quality of life of patients with gynecologic cancer.

Objectives: Patients often struggle with their financial situation during cancer treatment due to treatment-related costs or loss of income. This resulting negative effect is called financial toxicity, which is a known as a side effect of cancer care. This study aimed to evaluate the association between financial toxicity and health-related quality of life among patients with gynecologic cancer using validated questionnaires.